


scarves, superheroes, and other identity shenanigans

by nooooodles



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrinette, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, LadyNoir - Freeform, Marichat, adrienette - Freeform, basically marinette just wants cat son to be happy, ladrien, we're fitting all four sides of the love square in here let's goooooo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22040764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nooooodles/pseuds/nooooodles
Summary: what do you get when you combine a scarf, a blanket, and two oblivious teenagers? an identity reveal, apparently
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 7
Kudos: 258





	scarves, superheroes, and other identity shenanigans

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jarl_Deathwolf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarl_Deathwolf/gifts).



> secret santa gift for @thewritewolf on tumblr!  
> hope you enjoy :D

If Marinette knew one thing about her partner, it’s that he was _big_. Chat Noir was loud, cheerful, and spirited. He could fill up a room with laughter and brighten anyone’s day. Just being near him could put anyone in a good mood- she of all people would know.

So when she heard him arrive and climbed onto her balcony with a plate of macarons and a sassy quip at the ready, she couldn’t help but notice the way he slouched over the railing, looking aimlessly at the stars above.

He had never looked quite so small.

Marinette gently set the plate of macarons on her tea table and leaned on the balcony beside him. “Are you okay, Chat?”

He turned and faced her with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m pawsitively purrfect, princess. You don’t need to worry about this cat.”

“Chat I _know_ something’s bothering you,” Marinette gently rested her hand on his shoulder, “you can talk to me, if you want to.”

Her partner let out a long sigh. “Well… today hasn’t been all that easy for me, I guess.” 

“Did something happen?”

Chat averted his gaze,“No. I don’t want to say much, but… today’s the anniversary of when I lost my mother. Three years ago today she just vanished, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Oh _chaton_ ,” Marinette breathed after a moment of silence, “do you need a hug?”

When he nodded, Marinette reached up onto her tip toes and gently wrapped her arms around him. After a moment he hugged her back, resting his head lightly on her shoulder. “Thank you, Marinette.”

She said nothing, only hugged him tighter. After what seemed like hours, they finally let each other go.

“Thanks for letting me hang out on your balcony, princess. I really owe you one.” Chat rubbed the back of his neck.

Marinette shook her head fondly, “You don’t owe me anything. Would you like to come inside? I have macarons.”

She saw the hint of a smile on his face. “Macarons? How can I say no?”

Marinette grabbed the tray of macarons off her tea table and hopped through her balcony door. She slid down her ladder with practiced ease and set the macarons down on her desk.

Chat followed soon after and made his way to her chaise lounge.

Marinette ruffled his hair fondly and made her way to her closet. “Wait just a second.”

She quickly yanked a fuzzy blanket from the top shelf of her closet and draped it over his shoulders when she made it back to the chaise. “For you.”

“Thank you, Marinette” Chat smiled.

“It’s the least I can do,” Marinette answered, setting the plate of macarons on his lap then taking a seat on the chaise beside him, “no way am I going to watch my best friend feel sad and do nothing about it.”

“If we’re best friends then you have to share the macarons with me,” Chat nudged her, “it’s mandatory.”

“If you insist, kitty-cat.”

Once every single macaron was accounted for, Chat prodded her shoulder gently. “I need to take my mind off of things. Do you have any new designs you’re working on?”

Marinette shook her head, “No, not at the moment. But I can show you my sketchbook if you’d like. She retrieved her sketchbook from her desk and made her way back. “You can look.”

Chat seemed to be enthralled by her designs as he flipped through the pages. “These are amazing, Marinette!” 

Marinette blushed lightly. “Thanks!”

As Chat continued to look through her sketchbook, Marinette couldn’t help but notice how cute he looked with her giant blanket wrapped around his shoulders and his messy hair. She knew she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t fallen for him a little.

She was knocked out of her reverie by a startled noise from her partner. “Marinette, what’s this?”

“Um, a scarf?” Marinette answered, peering at the page he was looking at. “Why?”

“Um- I just- it looks nice is all!” Chat played with his fingers, “was it a gift or something? I’ve never seen you wear it.”

“It was a gift for my friend Adrien.”

“A gift?”

“Yep,” Marinette twirled a strand of hair between her fingers, “or at least it was supposed to be. But I guess there was a mixup and now he thinks it’s from his dad. Since that made him overjoyed, I figured I shouldn’t tell him. As long as he’s happy, I’m happy.”

Marinette noticed Chat’s empty-eyed stare and wondered what it was she said to make him react this way.

It was just a scarf she made for Adrien. Why would he care?

After what felt like ages Chat finally turned around and pulled Marinette into a tight hug. “You’re wonderful, princess. The world doesn’t deserve you.”

Marinette closed her eyes and hugged him back. “Thank you, _chaton_. That’s very sweet of you to say.”

Chat let her go and smiled at her warmly. “It’s the truth.”

Marinette blushed slightly and smiled back. 

Chat stood up and wrapped the blanket around Marinette’s shoulders. “Well, I’d better get going. I wouldn’t want to arrive back home too late.”

Marinette reached out and gently grabbed his wrist. “Chat, you said today was a difficult day for you. Are you going to be okay?”

Chat kneeled down and grinned, “I’m going to be more than okay, Marinette.” He wrapped her in another quick hug, “Thank you for everything.” 

He saluted her with two fingers and made his way towards her balcony.

Marinette lightly clutched her blanket. There was clearly something else going on with her partner that he wasn’t letting onto, and what she wanted more than anything else at the moment was to be able to help him.

She quickly hopped onto her balcony and pulled Chat back by his belt-tail just as he was about to leap off.

“Marinette?”

“Take the blanket as a gift,” Marinette offered, “and promise me whenever you feel sad or alone you’ll see it and be reminded of me. you're my best friend, Chat Noir. I care about you a lot.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” Marinette insisted, “I can always make another.”

Marinette could have sworn she imagined the faint blush that crossed his cheeks as he took the blanket, and she was very sure she imagined the softness in his voice when he thanked her.

And when he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek before leaping off into the night? Well, that was probably her imagination too. 

__

When Marinette arrived at school the next morning, Alya wrapped her in a giant hug. “Hey, Marinette! I see you’re not running late for class today. What’s the occasion?”

Marinette laughed and squirmed her way out of Alya’s grasp, “Do I need one?”

“Nah girl, you’re good.”

When Marinette caught Adrien’s eye she made her way to class with her friend, she noticed he was wearing the blue scarf she had made him. 

He waved and flashed her a beautiful smile that could have rivaled the sun itself. Marinette could feel her cheeks warm as she awkwardly waved back. If the gentle nudge in her side was anything to go by, Alya must have noticed too. 

Class passed by in a dull blur. Marinette didn’t feel all that keen on listening to Mme. Mendeleiev, considering all the grief she had gotten from the teacher for being late. _Excuuuuuse me for being tardy, Mme. Mendeleiev! I’m only Ladybug, superheroine of Paris._ She scoffed. 

The end of class couldn’t have come soon enough for Marinette as she eagerly made her way towards the door.

“Hey, Marinette?”

She whirled around midstep to find Adrien, blushing slightly and playing around with his fingers. “Hi. I was wondering if we could talk for a bit. There’s something I need to ask you.”

“Oh! Um, of course, Adrien. What is it?”

He waited for all their classmates to leave before he asked. “So, it’s about the blue scarf.”

“O-oh. It is?”

“Yeah. Marinette, is it really a birthday gift from my father? Or did you make it?”

Marinette lightly tugged on one of her pigtails, but met his gaze evenly, “I _did_ make it, but you were so happy when you thought it came from your father, I didn’t want to ruin that.”

She grew a bit more concerned for every second Adrien remained silent after hearing her answer. Eventually, she reached out and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay? What are you thinking about?”

Adrien reached over and pulled her into a hug, “I’m thinking that you’re an amazing person, Marinette, and I’m really lucky to have you in my life.” Marinette could feel her cheeks growing redder by the second. This was happening, right? She wasn’t dreaming? 

He stepped back and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that. I just wanted to say thank you for the scarf, Marinette. I love it.”

Marinette lightly tapped his nose, “Don’t be sorry, Adrien.” 

Just as Adrien opened his mouth to answer, a loud buzzing sound echoed through the hallways. 

“I hate that that bell,” Marinette groaned.

Adrien laughed, “We should probably get to class before our teacher notices. Talk later?”

Marinette smiled at him. “Sure.”

___

Chat Noir was looking at the stars again when Ladybug found him on the highest viewing level of the Eiffel Tower, but this time he didn’t look hopeless. He looked happy.

“Good evening, _chaton._ What brings you up here so late at night?” She offered, taking a seat beside him.

“Hello m’lady,” Chat gently nudged her leg with his boot, “I could say the same about you, you know. What’s wrong?”

“Couldn’t sleep” Ladybug sighed, staring straight ahead. And how could she? So much had happened in the past twenty four hours she could barely recount. She was worried about Chat Noir, and she was worried about Adrien and how the discovery of the truth about his scarf would affect his already poor relationship with his father. 

“Need to talk, m’lady? I’ve been told I’m a pawsome listener.”

Ladybug smiled, “I don’t doubt it.” 

As she turned towards him, she noticed for the first time that evening he was wearing a blue scarf around his neck. The exact blue scarf she had made for Adrien. Did he steal it? No, Chat wouldn’t take anything from an innocent civilian. But how did he get it then? What did this mean? 

“M’lady are you okay? You’ve gotten kinda pale.”

“Where did you get that scarf?” she managed after a few moments.

“Oh, the scarf? It was a gift from my best friend Marinette,” Chat smiled to himself, “I only recently found out.”

Sirens went off in Ladybug’s head. She remembered last night when she told Chat about the scarf as Marinette, and then earlier that day when Adrien had shown up to school, wearing the same scarf and thanking her for giving it to him. It all made sense. _Adrien is Chat Noir. Adrien is Chat Noir. Adrien is Chat Noir. Adrien is-_

Impervious to Ladybug’s situation, Chat continued on, “I keep calling her a friend, but I think she might be more than that.” He smiled softly.

Ladybug squeaked loudly. _Adrien is Chat Noir. Adrien is Chat Noir. Adrien is Chat Noir and he fell for both of my personas. I always knew I was lucky but I had no idea I was-_

“Ladybug? Ladybug are you alright? Ladybug!” 

“Yeah!” Ladybug jumped back several feet and saluted him. “I’m fine! Never been better! I-um-I should probably go. I’m not feeling very well so I-uh... ”

Chat stared at her, dumbfounded.

“Bye!”

Ladybug reached for her yoyo and threw herself off the Eiffel Tower. She leaped from building to building for what seemed like hours until she finally landed haphazardly on an old rooftop far enough from where her partner was.

“Tikki,” she breathed, “spots off.”

Marinette felt her transformation fade away and she slumped down on the rooftop. Tikki landed next to her. “Are you okay, Marinette?” 

Marinette covered her face with her hands.“Tikki, I saw Chat Noir wearing Adrien’s scarf- a scarf he said he got from _me._ Does this mean that Adrien is Chat Noir? Are they really the same person?”

After what felt like an eternity, Tikki finally answered. “Yes. I’m sorry Marinette, I know you didn’t want to find out this way.”

“Don’t be sorry, Tikki. I’m not upset,” Marinette looked up at the stars and smiled, “I’m so so happy. The boy I love and my best friend are one and the same. I can hardly believe it myself.”

“What are you going to do now?” Tikki questioned softly.

“I think I’m going to tell him,” Marinette murmured, “I think it’s time we reveal our identities to each other.”

“You have to be wary of Hawk Moth,” Tikki warned, “If he learns your identities, he could use them against you.” 

Marinette gently patted Tikki’s head, “I’ll be careful, Tikki. I promise.”

“I know you will, Marinette.”

“Tikki, spots on!” Marinette closed her eyes as she felt her transformation wash over her. 

With her yoyo, Ladybug soared across Paris, slowly feeling more anxious the closer she got to Adrien’s room. 

By the time she got there, she was practically overflowing with nervousness. She knew Adrien would love knowing she was Marinette- her joy at finding out he was Chat Noir proved as much, but despite that she still couldn’t shake the butterflies in her stomach. She took a deep breath and entered through the open window. 

If Ladybug had any doubt that Adrien wasn’t Chat Noir in her mind, it was completely erased by the sight of him at his computer, wrapped in the same giant fuzzy blanket she had given Chat Noir just the previous night. 

Adrien blushed when he spun around in his chair and saw her in his room. “L-Ladybug? What are you doing here? It’s so late!”

Ladybug laughed, “I could say the same about you, you know.”

Adrien strode over to her and rested his hand on her cheek, “Ladybug, are you okay? Why are you here?”

Ladybug sighed. She expected him to be concerned after witnessing her breakdown on the Eiffel Tower, but she wasn’t sure what to say. “I-I know who you are. I know you’re Chat Noir.”

She silently cursed herself as Adrien’s hand left her cheek and he backed away a few paces. Surely there must have been a better way to let him know.

“How did you find out?” he murmured after a while, not quite meeting her gaze.

“It was the blue scarf I saw you wear when we were at the Eiffel Tower, and then the blanket, just now.” 

At that, Adrien met her gaze uncertainly, “But those are from Marinette. Why do you care about them so much?”

Ladybug tentatively reached out for his hand and placed it on her heart. “Because I was the one who gave those to you. It’s why I was so shocked when I saw you wearing the blue scarf on the Eiffel Tower as Chat Noir. Because I made it for Adrien. You see-”

She closed her eyes. “Tikki, spots off”

When she opened her eyes after her transformation dropped, she smiled, “it’s because it’s been me all this time.”

Adrien stared at her with his eyes wide for the longest time. “M’lady?”

Marinette smiled, “Hi, kitty.”

Adrien sputtered for a few moments then pulled her into a hug and laughed, “It’s you! All this time I was in love with you, and I didn’t even know it. The girl I love and my best friend are one and the same. I think your luck is starting to rub off on me, m’lady.” 

Marinette hugged him back and grinned, “Let’s try to keep it that way, _chaton_.”

When they broke apart, they were met with an unamused looking Plagg. “It’s about time, you two. Do you know how many times Tikki and I suffered because you two refused to use your heads? I’m glad all this identity shenanigans is over. If it were up to me I would have had you two reveal your identities to each other in the beginning.”

“If I give you three extra wheels of camembert for lunch tomorrow, will you drop this?” Adrien pleaded.

“Done.”

As Plagg turned to talk with Tikki, Marinette gently rested her hands on Adrien’s. “I remember you said last night was the anniversary of your mother’s disappearance. Are you going to be okay?”

Adrien gently grasped her hands in his own and smiled, “I'm more than okay, Marinette. Thank you for everything.” 


End file.
